Floor treating appliance



June 5, 1934. D. F. I ARKIN FLOOR TREATING APPLMNCE Filed Aug. 20 1952 INVENTOR. DENNIS F. LARKIN.

BY M

ATTORNEY.

Faienteti .lune 5, 1934 UITED STATES PATENT OFFICE to Larkin .Specialty Manufacturing Company, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of Calitornia Application August 20,

Il Claims.

'.iliis invention relates to improvements in floor treating appliances and more particularly to applicators for Waxing and polishing floors.

Among the objects of this invention is to facilitate the application and distribution of liquid waxy substances to floor surfaces.

Another object is to provide improved applicator and polisher pads easily attachable to the handle mechanism and proof against accidental dislodgment.

Another object is to prevent slack and wrinkling of the pads in use.

A further object is to provide for the easy detachment of the applicator and polisher pads for the purpose of cleansing or removal.

ther objects and advantages Will appear as the description progresses.

In this speciiication and the accompanying drawing, the invention is disclosed in its preferred form. 1t is to be understood, however, that it is not limited to this forni, because it may be einbodied in other forms Without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the claims following the description.

Developments in the oor waxing art have departed from the application of Wax pastes, follou/ed by laborious distribution -vvith heavily Weighted brushes, previous to the polishing operation.

Modern door waxes come in the form of mobile liquids sufficiently iluid to flow through valves, .and are easily distributed and leveled on the floor `.surfaces with suitable applicators, without laborious pressure.

Such waxed surfaces are also easily polished with a suitable polisher. The present invention relates particularly to the applicator' `and the polisher pads.

The liquid waxes contain driers that cause 'them to dry and harden rapidly, which is an advantage on the lloor but a source i considerable trouble in the applicators and polishers which becorne clogged with accumulated Wax when not in use. 'The present invention greatly facilitates the attachment and detachment of the applicator and polisher pads, which may be immersed in naphthous or other solvents or otherwise cleansed of the accumulated wax and restored to effectiveness.

For further particulars regarding the structure of the liquid Wax applicator shown, see my copending application for patent entitled Wax applicators, filed November 2l, 1931, Serial No. 576,490.

In the one sheet of drawings;

1932, Serial No. 629,6@

(Cl. Sli- 39) Fig. l is an end elevation of an applicator equipped with a distributing pad or polisher in accordance with this invention. The pad is shown in cross section as on the line I-L Fig. 2.

Fig, 2 is a plan view of a detached applicator pad. The polisher pads and applicator pads are alike except that the series of holes are omitted from the polisher pad.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged detail of the latch edge of the pad.

Fig. 4 is a similar vievv of the hook bead on the edge of the pad.

5 is an end view of a simplified form of polishing head having the pad attached thereto as in Fig. l.

In detail the construction illustrated in the drawing, referring to Fig. l, comprises the rectangular box-like reservoir l, having the ilanged ilat bottom or base 2 crimped thereon at 3. The socket e is fixed to the reservoir to receive the handle 5.

The base 2 is provided with a series of alined spring seated valves 6, having threaded valve stems l protruding through the top of the reservoir and engaging the regulating nuts 8. Bell crank levers such as 9 are pivoted under loops as at 10 on top or the reservoir. One end of the levers .engages beneath the nuts 8, to lift the valves f-.S open when a pull is exerted on the opposite end of the bell cranks by the links 11-11. The felt gaskets 12 are interposed between the bell cranks and the top of the reservoir surrounding the val-ve Sterns 'lfto prevent leakage at these points.

There are eight valves in a roW which feed through the registering openings 13 in the ap- -plicator pad 14 shown in Fig. 2. These valves are controlled in groups of four Within the reservoir l by two control mechanisms such as 8 to 11 on top of the reservoir. These links ll-ll engage a single control lever, not shown, pivoted on the handle 5 Within convenient reach of the operator.

The exiole applicator and polisher pads 14 are alike, as stated, except for the holes 13 in the applicator pad. The most durable and satisfactory material for these pads is soft tanned sheepskin With the vvool pile 15 thereon. This material has strong capillary attraction for the liquid wax, desirable for distributing the liquid Wax and also for absorbing the surplus that may feed through the holes 13. The polishing quality of sheepskin Wool is well known.

There are various special pile fabrics of the nature of carpet, plush, and the like, that will serve a like purpose for the pads, but they fail to approach the qualities of the sheep skin.

The pad 14 is slightly longer and wider than the bottom flange 2, so that it will fold around the edges of the reservoir base and act as a buffer to protect the walls and furniture in using the applicator.

The pads are attached to the applicator by means of rigid metal beads xed to the opposite edges of the pads and adapted to engage the reservoir, see Figs. 4 and 5. At the front edge the bead 16 has the serrate edge 17 crimped over the edge of the pad which it penetrates to x the beads permanently to the sheep skin. This bead is then bent at 18 to form a hook to engage the front ange 3 and lie thereunder as at 19.

The opposite edge of the pad has the bead 26 enfolding the edge of the skin 14 and also permanently engaging it by means of a serrate edge penetrating the texture of the skin. This skin has the button hole slot 21, intermediate its width and beneath the bead 20, see Figs. 1 and 2.

The latch hook 25 `engages the slot 21 and has the end handle 24 for convenience in hooking and unhooking the latch 23. The intermediate loop 25 engages the end of the spring 26, the other end of which is fixed by the loop 27 to the socket 4. The tension of the spring 26 is exerted to pull the skin 14 taut across the base 2, from its anchorage at 3', and upward around the flange 3, to form a buffer at this rear edge.

This invention operates substantially as follows: Presuming the fountain reservoir 1 to have been filled through the cap 1', with the applicator pad in place, as in Fig. 1, and resting upon the iioor to be treated. The links 11-11 are manipulate'dyto'elevate the valve stems '7 and drop liquid wax through the valves 6*-6, and the holes 13-13 onto the fioor surface. The applicator as a Whole is now inoved back and forth, longitudinally `to the handle 5, until the wax is evenly distributed on vthe fioor. The valve operation is repeated as often vas vadditional wax is desired and the applicator zigzagged progressively so that it Ladvances'laterally until the desired floor area is covbead 16, leaving the applicator pad upon the floor, from whence it can be lifted by the bead without soiling the hands of the operator. These used pads 14 can be `laid aside for future use or cleansed as suggested above.

The polisher pad 14x, see Fig. 5, is then placed upon the floor, and the flange 3 of the reservoir inserted into the hooked bead 18x, and the extension 24 manipulated to insert the latch hook into the slot 21x, as described in connection with the applicator pad 14 in Fig. 1. The polishing operation is the same as described with respect tothe wax applicator, except that the wax valves 6-6 are not opened.

Fig. 5 illustrates a simplified substitute for the wax fountain applicator shown in Fig. 1. It cornprises the plate base 2m, having the handle 5cc engaging the socket 4x xed to the top of this plate. A similar hook latch and spring assembly 23512 to 27x is provided to attach and stretch the pad 14m on the plate 2x. Similar reference characters, with the addition of 9: thereto, denote corresponding parts in Figs. 1 and 5, respectively.

Having thus described this invention what is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A waxing appliance including a base; a iiexibie pad; a hooked bead adapted to detachably engage an ledge of said base and bent back upon itself outwardly to permanently engage an edge of said pad; a rigid bead on the opposite side of said pad; and tension means xed to said base and detachably engaging said rigid bead.

2. A waxing appliance including a base; a flexible pad; rigid beads on the opposite edges of said pad, one of said beads being adapted to detachably engage an edge of said base; a latch detachably engaging the other bead; and tension means fixed to said base and engaging said latch intermediate its length.

3. A waxing appliance including a base; a flex` ible pad having an opening therethrough adjacent one of its edges; metal beads on opposite edges of said pad, one of said beads being adapted to detachably engage an edge of said base; and tension latch fixed on said base and adapted to detachably engage through the opening in said pad and bear against the adjacent metal bead.

4. A waxing appliance including a base; a flexible pad; metal beads on opposite edges of said pad and having serrated edges imbedded in said pad, one of said beads being adapted to detachably engage an edge of said base; and tension means on said base adapted to detachably en gage the other edge of said pad.

DENNIS F. LARKIN. 

